RMS Discipline Plan

Rainbow Middle School

Discipline Plan

The students, teachers, principal and assistant principal, counselor, and parents share the responsibility for administering the Rainbow Middle Discipline Plan and for working together on a daily basis to review and understand Rainbow Middle’s goals for responsibility and behavior. In order for every student to have the opportunity to reach his or her potential, each student at Rainbow Middle shall:

• Attend school faithfully, complete his or her assignments on time, and work to his or her full potential.

• Behave in a manner that does not disrupt classroom learning or the operation of the school.

• Obey teachers, the principal or assistant principal, and others in authority.

• Refrain from aggressive or threatening behavior towards fellow students, teachers, or other school staff.

• Refrain from the possession or use of any weapons, illegal drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products.

Rainbow Middle School’s Discipline Goals

• To help students develop self-respect.

• To help students develop respect for others and their property.

• To help students see the need for self-discipline.

• To guide students toward choices which lead to improved behavior.

Shared Responsibility

Students: Throughout the year you will be expected to assume the following responsibilities:

1. Be present and on time for school and classes each day.

2. Treat all school personnel and fellow students with dignity and respect.

3. Demonstrate respect for the school by taking care of facilities, property and equipment, and the property of others.

4. Be a positive representative of your school at all times. Comply fully with all school and classroom policies and procedures.

Students who are suspended from school will not be permitted to attend school functions, including but not limited to dances and athletic events.

Teachers: A preventative approach to discipline communicates to students that the focus of the school discipline is to promote success and not to inflict punishment. Infractions where prevention is a must include, but are not limited to, behaviors observed in the classroom such as talking, extraneous noises, inappropriate comments, name calling, not following teacher directions, and breaking classroom rules.

Principal, Assistant Principal, Counselor: The principal, assistant principal, and counselor have a shared responsibility for contributing to the maintenance of an educational environment conducive to teaching and learning. This orderly learning environment with high expectations provide for the total growth, development, and maturation of all students physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.

Parents: Administrators, faculty, staff members and parents have a shared responsibility for assisting in the total growth, development and maturation of all students. Parents are expected to be involved in the educational and social experiences of their children. Parents who are informed of school goals and are knowledgeable about school policies and procedures can assist their students in making good decisions. Parents who attend parent/teacher conferences and extra-curricular activities form a partnership with the school and the students. This partnership enhances the quality of a child’s learning experiences.

The parent must assume responsibility for the student’s regular attendance in school. Regular, consistent school attendance is vital to a student’s academic program. Students must attend school regularly and be on time to classes in order to maximize instructional benefits. Parents are encouraged to visit the school any time during the year. Parents may call the school to schedule a conference with the student’s teachers during their planning period. The counselors, principal, and assistant principals are available as their daily schedules permit. Parents should take advantage of these opportunities to strengthen the parent/teacher relationship so that our students can be successful.

School Wide Minor Offenses

These offenses can be handled by a student’s team of teachers using the Eight Step Discipline Procedures. These offenses may also result in assignment to ISS.

Refer to the Etowah County Schools Code of Student Conduct book. The following are intended as further guidelines for student conduct at Rainbow Middle School. The following offenses are subject to disciplinary action:

Being in off-limit areas of being in the halls without a pass.

Dress code violations.

Chewing gum.

Horseplay, pranks on fellow students, running in the halls, or being in the wrong hallway.

Profanity.

Tardiness (either to school or to class).

Littering on school property, including the cafeteria, buildings, and grounds.

Committing one of the following offenses may result in suspension out of school or Alternative School placement and possibly charges filed with the Sheriff’s Department.

Refer to the Etowah County Schools Code of Student Conduct book. The following are intended as further guidelines for student conduct at Rainbow Middle School. The following offenses are subject to disciplinary action:

Fighting or physically assaulting another student.

Noncompliance with directives from principals, teachers, and other personnel.

Disorderly conduct / Creating a disturbance.

Bullying, hazing, extortion, intimidation, harassment, of fellow students, or threats which cause students to fear for their safety.

Possession of, distribution of, or possession of drugs/alcohol or any substance represented to be drugs or alcohol.

Student disrespect towards anyone in this school related to race.

Sexual harassment.

Disrespect to school personnel, including obscene of abusive language, threats, gestures, or intimidation.

Use of possession of tobacco

Continuous horseplay.

Possession, distribution, use of, or threatened use of firearms, weapons, explosives, and incendiary devices (this includes “look alike” firearms, explosives, and incendiary devices).

Destruction or defacing of school property, including intentional damage to school buses.

False emergency calls or setting off false fire alarms.

Verbal, physical, or sexual assault or battery.

Engagement in any inappropriate sexual touching or indecent behavior.

Any other offense that school personnel deems appropriate.

Discipline Procedures

These are consequences for violation of school rules (unless the violation is serious enough to automatically result in suspension out of school).

Step I – Warning/ISS referral for one class period – assigned by teacher or team- teacher discretion- there can be classroom modification, teacher supervised detention. The teacher will notify the parent of the offense.

Step II –Break Detention. The teacher will notify the parent of the offense.

Step III -Team meeting with student and phone call home. Parental calls are informational in nature (description of the behavior).

Referral to guidance – student will meet with guidance counselor to help the team determine any non-punitive interventions the support staff or an outside agency may be able to provide to help the student be successful.

(Special Education teachers will be notified if student is on caseload)

Campus Beautification Duty—during break, PE, or Exploratory period.

Step IV- Office Referral and After-School Detention

Step V– Office referral and 2 days of After-school Detention

Step VI—Office Referral and assignment to ISS.

Step VII – An administrative initiated parent meeting will occur- out of school suspension

Step VIII –Zero tolerance letter will be sent to the parent—out of school suspension or placement in BAM program.

Step IX Last Straw – Recommendation for alternative education or recommendation for long term suspension.

This discipline procedure gives the students several chances to change behavior, and we have included all the necessary steps of modification and documentation in case we have to suspend or make a recommendation for an alternative educational placement.

The administration reserves the right to assign and alter consequences at Rainbow Middle School whenever necessary.

Rainbow Middle School

Bus Discipline

Riding the school bus is a privilege. The following guidelines are necessary to provide the safest and most comfortable conditions possible for students.

1. The driver is in charge of the bus, and students must obey the driver.

2. Students shall sit in assigned seats at all times with arms and head inside the bus.

3. Eating, drinking, or chewing gum will not be allowed on buses. (In cases of extreme heat, water will be permitted on school buses)

4. Anything that compromises student safety will not be permitted on the bus, including, but not limited to, perfumes, body sprays, horseplay, wrestling, fighting, spitballs, and throwing things.

5. Students should maintain a reasonable noise level.

6. Students must ride their assigned bus and may only get on or off the bus at their designated bus stop.

7. For more information please reference the student handbook.

Consequences for Bus Misbehavior

1st Referral - Conference/warning.

2nd Referral - Bus Suspension for 1-3 days.

3rd Referral - Bus Suspension for 3-5 days.

4th Referral - Bus Suspension for 7-10 days.

5th Referral - Bus Suspension for one semester or more.

Again, the administration at Rainbow Middle School reserves the right to alter consequences if deemed necessary.

Rainbow Middle School’s principal, assistant principals, teachers, counselors, and support personnel join the parents and members of the community in providing a positive and encouraging environment for our students. We realize that it takes home, school, and community working together to ensure responsibility, academic success, and character for our students. We know that consistent, school-wide application of this program will reap great rewards in helping students achieve their goals.